As an aside, I remember playing Killer 7 and being blown away by how strange and apparently random it all was. I struggled in my brain trying to make sense of it all. Until I came to my OWN truth: there was no meaning to it, and that in itself IS the meaning. ALL humans seek organization and meaning; clarification and order. However the universe just called and said FUCK YOU! Meaning is up to YOU to figure out! Its not MY job or Suda's job to give it to you on a silver platter! Like it or not; In LIFE meaning is WHERE YOU FIND IT!
Interestingly, when Garcian and Mills converse in the car that
Mills bought from Clemence, Garcian sits on the right side, as
the passenger. In the car that Mills owned BEFORE he bought the
car from Clemence, Garcian is seen riding on the LEFT SIDE, as
the passenger. (You can see Garcian riding on the left side in
the anime-style cutscene introducing the ALTER EGO chapter.) This
implies that Mills' first car was not a vehicle manufactured for
use in the United States; European roads require that the driver
side be located on the right of the car, since European driving
laws require drivers to stay on the left side of the road.
This is a nice detail, because it further evinces Japan's
impotence: since Japan is no longer manufacturing cars for global
purchase, Europe has picked up the slack and manufactures cars
that are exclusively designed for European use.
Clearly the writer is a man who has done his research.
Interestingly, when Garcian and Mills converse in the car that
Mills bought from Clemence, Garcian sits on the right side, as
the passenger. In the car that Mills owned BEFORE he bought the
car from Clemence, Garcian is seen riding on the LEFT SIDE, as
the passenger. (You can see Garcian riding on the left side in
the anime-style cutscene introducing the ALTER EGO chapter.) This
implies that Mills' first car was not a vehicle manufactured for
use in the United States; European roads require that the driver
side be located on the right of the car, since European driving
laws require drivers to stay on the left side of the road.
This is a nice detail, because it further evinces Japan's
impotence: since Japan is no longer manufacturing cars for global
purchase, Europe has picked up the slack and manufactures cars
that are exclusively designed for European use.
Clearly the writer is a man who has done his research.
For the people who don't get the sarcasm: Japan drives on the left. Most of Europe (excepting the UK) drives on the right.
Unlike Killer7's larger use of subtext to talk about why it hates videogames (rails are an incredible metaphor), No More Heroes shoves it's opinions down your goddamn throat.
But what about video games does it actually hate?
Again, NMH might actually analyze video games fine, but no one here is putting up what the analysis is. You would think that people would take away the biggest part of what they liked from NMH.
No More Heroes criticises a lot. I think one of the really good examples early on are tasks incongruous with your ability. You start out murdering guys, taking them to pieces, and 20 minutes later, you're reduced to collecting coconuts.
The illusion of control (I mentioned that before) is a common theme throughout his games. There's a boss or two that explores this theme in Killer7 and No More Heroes. Sometimes this an example of what's bad about video games, but I would rather think of it as an example of what video games are; It's a deconstruction.
No More Heroes is really similar to Portal, then. Portal is Tutorial: the video game. They're both using parody for effect, just with very different styles of execution. It's worth asking yourself, would Portal's message be any less if the mechanics weren't fun? Perhaps, yes. Then, can the same be said about No More Heroes? Maybe not.
Looking back to what I said in an earlier post, No More Heroes isn't going to risk losing its message in awe of itself, so it's parody becomes extreme. Themes like illusion, emptiness, behavior, linearity, and inconsistencies become obvious as the game consciously marred itself. At the same time the aesthetic is slick, its use of the wiimote is smart, and the combat is fun. Maybe it's just fun enough to keep people playing?
I'm going to end kind of abruptly because I've made my friend wait for me in Resident Evil 5's lobby for about ten minutes now. I'll end with this: Many punk songs were parodies of themselves. And many people may have said that it's easy to be negative, it's hard to be constructive. And Punk died once. But that doesn't mean the scene wasn't an important movement. Sure, it's fair to say you don't like No More Heroes, but it succeeds as deconstruction: the video game.
I would tidy this up but my friend is being a jerk. I think it's digestible, though.
Beck on
Lucas's Franklin Badge reflected the lightning back!
After an hour or two of No More Heroes, you begin to notice that it is pretty self-aware. One character, as I recall, refers to himself as foil. "The game" is mentioned a couple of times. During a few missions that have you picking up coconuts, and collecting garbage, you're left with this...Absurd image. Everything starts coming together from there on. There's a few smart juxtapositions. Open worlds containing very little, small corridors filled with enemies.
I could give you a few more (and better) examples if I had played it more recently, but yeah, it hints pretty hard.
Thanks for the really nice responses, by the way.
NP, thanks for the info. NMH sounds worth at least renting; I'd like to have an informed opinion on it now that this thread has piqued my interest.
kedinik on
I made a game! Hotline Maui. Requires mouse and keyboard.
Posts
The Bugle reveals that EVERYONE is insane.
No, I'm special for other reasons (like getting an email read on The Bugle)
Clearly the writer is a man who has done his research.
For the people who don't get the sarcasm: Japan drives on the left. Most of Europe (excepting the UK) drives on the right.
No More Heroes criticises a lot. I think one of the really good examples early on are tasks incongruous with your ability. You start out murdering guys, taking them to pieces, and 20 minutes later, you're reduced to collecting coconuts.
The illusion of control (I mentioned that before) is a common theme throughout his games. There's a boss or two that explores this theme in Killer7 and No More Heroes. Sometimes this an example of what's bad about video games, but I would rather think of it as an example of what video games are; It's a deconstruction.
No More Heroes is really similar to Portal, then. Portal is Tutorial: the video game. They're both using parody for effect, just with very different styles of execution. It's worth asking yourself, would Portal's message be any less if the mechanics weren't fun? Perhaps, yes. Then, can the same be said about No More Heroes? Maybe not.
Looking back to what I said in an earlier post, No More Heroes isn't going to risk losing its message in awe of itself, so it's parody becomes extreme. Themes like illusion, emptiness, behavior, linearity, and inconsistencies become obvious as the game consciously marred itself. At the same time the aesthetic is slick, its use of the wiimote is smart, and the combat is fun. Maybe it's just fun enough to keep people playing?
I'm going to end kind of abruptly because I've made my friend wait for me in Resident Evil 5's lobby for about ten minutes now. I'll end with this: Many punk songs were parodies of themselves. And many people may have said that it's easy to be negative, it's hard to be constructive. And Punk died once. But that doesn't mean the scene wasn't an important movement. Sure, it's fair to say you don't like No More Heroes, but it succeeds as deconstruction: the video game.
I would tidy this up but my friend is being a jerk. I think it's digestible, though.
NP, thanks for the info. NMH sounds worth at least renting; I'd like to have an informed opinion on it now that this thread has piqued my interest.